Basic Care
These are the products we use within our sanctuary to control common issues such as fleas and worms. You should work with your veterinarian to determine a routine that works best for you and your pets.
Worms
Pyrantel Pamoate - Roundworms & Hookworms. This is the 50mg/ml concentration so we dose at .1ml per lb of body weight for kittens 2 weeks and older. We use this syringe to treat cats up to 10lbs, and this size to treat those 10lbs and up. We find that most cats like the flavor and we can often get away with putting this in their food. We treat them every quarter.
Praziquantel - Tapeworms (from fleas.) Each bottle has 3 tablets and cats are dosed based on weight. For example, cats 4lbs and under only need half a tablet, while 5lbs to 11lbs need 1 tablet. So depending on the size of the cat, we can use this one bottle to treat 2-6 cats. We typically only need to treat once as the tapeworms do not return unless the cat is exposed to fleas again.
Fleas
Dawn Dishwashing Liquid - Most OTC flea treatments are not safe for kittens under 5lbs, so for these little ones we typically bathe them in a dawn bath to rid them of fleas quickly and gently. Here is a great video that walks you through the process step by step.
Provecta - This is a low-cost option we often use for cats who just need to be treated for fleas as it does not protect against ticks or heartworms. We use this version for cats 5lb - 9lbs, and this one for cats 9lbs and over. It’s very important that this treatment isn’t used with any other topical flea treatments and that we wait 30 days from the last topical treatment before re-applying. We never use this product on cats under 5lbs.
Diatomaceous Earth - We use this food-grade DE to treat any porous areas that may have been exposed to fleas, such as furniture or rugs. We simply remove the cats from the affected area, dust the powder on the areas in question, work it into the fiber, and vacuum it up after a couple of days. We’ll typically treat an affected area twice weekly for about a month. We also wash all bedding (ours and the cats), blankets, and practically everything else we can fit in the washing machine on high heat.
Capstar - This is a great option when you need to kill adult fleas quickly. Fleas are a real threat to kittens and can cause anemia and death, so we use this on heavily infested cats and kittens that we cannot bathe. We’ll always use this in conjunction with other longer-lasting topical solutions as it doesn’t kill flea larvae or eggs.
These are simply some of our favorite products for basic cat care, but you should always talk with your veterinarian before starting your cat on any kind of treatment, even if the products are available over the counter.